Key Stat of the Night
- Memphis became the first Western Conference team to defeat the Lakers in a game played outside the city of Los Angeles… The Lakers entered the night 18-0 this season in games played away from STAPLES Center (the Lakers lost a road game on Oct. 22 against the Clippers at STAPLES Center).
Key Run of the Night
- Leading 70-58 in the third quarter, Memphis went on a 16-6 run to take a 22-point lead (86-64) and entered the fourth quarter leading by 20 (86-66).
Game Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 105-88 on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 17,794 inside FedExForum.
The Grizzlies would use career nights from Ja Morant and Jonas Valanciunas to halt their five-game losing streak as they knocked off the team atop the Western Conference standings. Memphis got off to a strong start as they outscored Los Angeles 18-6 in points in the paint in the opening period. Nine early points from Morant helped the Grizzlies to a four-point lead after one quarter of play at 29-25. Valanciunas made his presence felt early on, posting a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone. The Grizzlies took command of the game with a 22-6 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Morant, to stretch the Grizzlies lead to 17 points at 54-37. Morant finished the first half with 16 of his 27 points as the Grizzlies took a 58-46 lead into the halftime break.
The Grizzlies would grow their lead to as many as 22 points at 86-64 following a layup from John Konchar with 53 seconds remaining in the third. Memphis was able to capitalize on miscues from the Los Angeles offense, converting 16 Laker turnovers into 22 points through the first three quarters of play. The Lakers ripped off a 17-6 run to trim the lead to 90-81 with 6:56 remaining in the game following a three-pointer from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Grizzlies immediately responded with a 15-4 run of their own to put the game out of reach as Memphis cruised to a 17-point victory. The Grizzlies entered the night ranked first in the NBA in points in the paint and outscored the Lakers 52-38 in the game, as Memphis improved to 29-31 with the victory.
It was a special night for Morant, who became the second rookie in NBA history to post at least 27 points and 14 assists against the Lakers, joining Oscar Robertson. Morant posted his rookie-leading 11th double-double of the season while shooting a career-high 4-of-6 from three-point range. This marked Morant’s seventh game with at least 20 points and 10 assists this season. Valanciunas posted his 29th double-double with 22 points and 20 rebounds on 10-of-15 shooting. With his 20 rebounds tonight, Valanciunas became the first player in Grizzlies history to record 20-plus rebounds in consecutive games. His 45 rebounds over the last two games also set a two-game franchise record, surpassing Zach Randolph’s 42 total rebounds from Dec. 20-22, 2009. Dillon Brooks totaled 24 points (9-24 FG, 3-11 3P) to go with five rebounds in a team-high 34 minutes. The Grizzlies are now 18-3 on the season when Brooks scores 20-or-more points.
LeBron James totaled 19 points (9-19 FG, 3-8 3P), eight rebounds and nine assists to lead the Lakers. Anthony Davis posted 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 7-of-12 shooting. Kyle Kuzma added 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes off the bench. Caldwell-Pope totaled 11 points, two rebounds and two assists as the Lakers fell to 45-13 on the season.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will hit the road for three games beginning with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. Fans can watch the game on FOX Sports Southeast or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Ja Morant posted his rookie-leading 11th double-double of the season with 27 points (10-16 FG) and 14 assists to go with six rebounds.
- Ja Morant, who had 20 points and 11 assists last night against Sacramento, joined Luka Doncic and Trae Young as the only rookies since the start of the 2011-12 season to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in consecutive games.
- Ja Morant became the second rookie in NBA history (Oscar Robertson) to record at least 27 points and 14 assists in a game against the Lakers.
- Ja Morant¸ who has won Western Conference Rookie of the Month three times to start the season, finished the month of February with averages of 18.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 30.7 minutes, playing all 11 contests… Morant led all rookies in double-doubles this month (3) and became the only rookie this season to record a triple-double when he totaled 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on Feb. 9 at Washington.
- Jonas Valančiūnas registered his 29th double-double of the season with 22 points and 20 rebounds… Valančiūnas averaged 14.3 rebounds per game in the month of February, a career high for any single month.
- Jonas Valančiūnas, who had a career-high 25 rebounds last night against Sacramento, is the first player in franchise history to grab at least 20 rebounds in consecutive games.
- Dillon Brooks tallied 24 points, his third consecutive game scoring 20 or more after a nine-game streak of being held under 20… He had scored at least 20 points in four straight games before that drought… Memphis improved to 18-3 this season when Brooks scores 20-plus points.
- LeBron James, listed as questionable entering the game with left groin soreness, posted 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in 34 minutes.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2019-20 Season Tickets can do so by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Single Game Tickets are available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX.
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